Pirates Continue Resurgence Against Mountaineers
by Ray Floriani
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The seconds slowly ticked away. The game was already decided and as the final horn sounded the fans stormed the floor of Continental Airlines Arena. And who could blame them? Seton Hall had just upset eleventh ranked West Virginia 71-64 and the Pirate faithful enjoyed the moment. The cheerleaders, naturally, entered the celebration, but even a few players, such as Grant Billmeier, who hit a crucial ten footer down the stretch, savored the moment and joined the fans in the wild celebration. The win raised Seton Hall’s record to 16-7 and most importantly, 7-4 in Big East play. West Virginia fell to 18-6 and 9-2 in conference.
There were several points of significance on this Valentine’s evening contest.
- Donald Copeland scored three points. But this was as dominant a three-point performance one is likely to see. Copeland repeatedly penetrated and broke down WVU’s 1-3-1 zone defense. Getting in the lane allowed Copeland to find the likes of senior forward Kelly Whitney, who paced the Hall with 21 points. “The Big East has a number of outstanding point guards,” noted Mountaineer coach John Beilein. “I think Copeland is the best of the group. He is the most efficient and penetrated our 1-3-1 so well we had to change defenses.”
- Seton Hall coach Louis Orr saw another factor in Copeland’s play. “One of the big things about (West Virginia’s) game is they like to force turnovers and convert,” Orr said. “We did an excellent job of not turning the ball over. We had seven turnovers and Big East teams average about 17 against them (West Virginia).” Copeland simply, was a huge reason Seton Hall showed commendable poise and didn’t turn it over very much.
- Jamar Nutter and Brian Laing have stepped up once again and surged during Big East play Nutter. It is a major reason Seton Hall has enjoyed success in conference play the past few weeks. Having Nutter, a junior guard, or Laing, a sophomore forward, come through on a given night adds to the attack and takes some pressure off mainstays Copeland and Whitney. Laing came through big against WVU with a solid 19-point outing. “Laing is just growing up every game,” Orr praised.
- West Virginia shot 8 of 32 from three-point range. It’s simple: when the Mountaineers hit from beyond the arc, they are very, very dangerous. If they misfire, they still can be a tough out. “We didn’t shoot well from three on Sunday and still beat Georgetown,” Beilein said.
- Resilience. That’s the best word to describe Seton Hall this season. When asked, Orr admitted he had not seen a team that could bounce back and overcome adversity like this Seton Hall club. Not during his playing days at Syracuse or in the NBA, and not during any of the assistant or head coaching campaigns. “I never coached a team like this,” Orr admitted. “They do not quit. They fall down and just get back up.”
That was certainly the case on this special evening. Only three nights earlier, the Hall hosted powerful UConn and came out on the short, or long, end of a 42-point drubbing. The loss was quickly put aside and the Pirates came out and established themselves early. They ran the game plan to perfection. “We just have a team,” Orr added, “that perserveres.”
Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia’s outstanding post player and lethal threat beyond the arc, led all scorers with 24 points. Pittsnogle actually did most of his damage on the blocks as he finished 4-of-9 from three point range.
The Hall enjoyed double-digit leads most of the contest. West Virginia made a late run to make it a two-possession game with two and a half minutes to play. Again, Orr’s club never panicked and made the key plays in the waning moments to preserve the victory.
“They (Seton Hal) played an outstanding game,” Beilein praised. “It’s understandable to see how they went to NC State and Syracuse and came away beating those teams on the road. They play great defense and are just a tough team to beat here.”
The next few games are crucial for the Pirates. They host Notre Dame, then travel to St. John’s on Tuesday and DePaul next Saturday. All are winnable contests, but in this ever challenging Big East, nothing is certain or a given. Still, at 7-4 Orr’s club is in a good position, a better one than a lot of prognosticators figured they would be at this point.
Next on tap for West Virginia was a Saturday date with UConn. One writer asked Beilein if having an extra day to prepare for UConn was significant. “UConn,” Beilein replied, “I don’t even know how or if you can prepare for UConn.” Rest assured, the West Virginia coach will.
